• Recipes

Jamaican and Caribbean food does not immediately spring to the foreground of our culinary imaginations in the same way that Indian, Italian or Chinese cooking usually does but, in the face of such competition, its enticing quality and imaginative diversity remains undiminished. Jamaica is famous for its beautiful beaches, crystal-blue seas, reggae music and happily laid-back atmosphere generated by its populace. Exotic fruits are abundant and connoisseurs all over the world hold the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee in high regard. Jamaica’s amalgamation of many recipes handed down the generations has provided the world with a cuisine that, whilst undiscovered to many, is both stimulating and provocative.

• The West Indian islands that comprise the Caribbean and which include Jamaica were ‘discovered’ by Christopher Columbus during the 1490s. The islands were originally inhabited by the Arawak and Carib Indian tribes, who had established a wonderfully varied combination of foodstuffs and cooking techniques.



• The Caribs were cannibalistic but are credited by food historians to be the people who began ritually spicing their food with chilli peppers. The Arawaks, on the other hand, devised a method of slow-cooking their meat by placing it over an open fire on a makeshift grate/grill made out of thin green sticks. They called this grate/grill a barbacoa, which gave rise in both method and name to what we know today as a barbecue.



• The Arawaks were a peaceful race who suffered immense cruelty, abuse and nigh on extermination at the hands of the invading Spaniards. In contrast, the Caribs were far more aggressive and resisted first the Spanish then the French and English invasions before being dispersed into a small number of groups.



• The subsequent migration of nationalities to the islands over five centuries resulted in the various cultures interacting and thus producing a wide range of dishes that have since evolved into what is generally considered to be traditional Jamaican cuisine.



• Once Christopher Columbus had discovered the islands of the Caribbean a deluge of settlers from Spain, Britain (who took Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655), France, Holland and other European countries colonised the islands over the years. Their assorted cuisine ensured that they brought with them a myriad of recipes, meats, vegetables and fruits that were previously unheard of in this region.



• Fruits and vegetables were brought from other countries to create crops that would yield greater variety. For example, breadfruit was introduced in 1793 by Captain William Bligh who had first attempted to do so in 1789 but was set adrift at sea following a mutiny on his ship, the Bounty. The breadfruit is indigenous to Tahiti, where Bligh had visited for the purpose of transporting it to the Caribbean but all the crops were thrown overboard during the mutiny. Breadfruit is now part of the Jamaican staple diet.



• Exposure bred familiarity and these new foods quickly became imbibed in the food culture of the Caribbean to the point of being considered synonymous with the islands. In addition, the Europeans imported African slaves who contributed their own cuisine to the region. The Africans brought crops of okra, callaloo and ackee - all of which are common in Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine.



• By the 19th century the British and French had dominated the colonisation of the Caribbean and, by 1850, slavery became abolished in all of the lands in which they ruled. However, working conditions did not improve, which resulted in an exodus of former slaves ­ now paid for their labour. This caused many problems, particularly with the production of sugar cane, which had only recently commenced.



• This hole in the labour force was filled when the owners of various plantations (coffee, sugar cane, etc.) brought in large number of Chinese and Indian servants, who were treated no better than the African slaves. Inevitably, these people from China and India imported their own cuisine, which rapidly became additional facets of the melting pot that originated Caribbean and Jamaican cooking.



• The long-lasting Oriental and Indian influences in Caribbean cooking are represented by a fondness for curries and a passion for rice in addition to the conspicuous presence of Chinese vegetables throughout the islands. Curried Goat is a Jamaican favourite, which is usually reserved for special occasions. It is said that the dish originated when Indian settlers opted for goat’s meat after they soon realised that lamb wasn’t available.



• Jamaica’s national dish is said to be Ackee & Saltfish, a delicacy most likely served at breakfast but can also be a main dish. Ackee is a fruit that was brought to Jamaica from West Africa in 1778 and its colour and flavour when cooked is said to resemble that of scrambled eggs. A ‘closed’ ackee is unripe and poisonous and is only safe to consume when it ripens and is thus ‘open’. Saltfish is fish (usually cod) that has been heavily immersed in salt for preservation, drying and curing purposes. Saltfish is usually soaked overnight in cold water to remove most of the salt before consumption.



• Seafood plays an important role in the cuisine of Jamaica and the Caribbean, as the islands are surrounded by waters where sea-life is plentiful. However, despite this fact, the islands still import many varieties of fish in abundance ­ such is their love of marine food.



• Jamaican Jerk is another signature dish of the island. It can be either a dry seasoning mixture that is rubbed directly into the meat or it can be combined with water to create a marinade. The origins of jerk can be traced back to the British invasion of 1655 when a number of the Maroon slaves (captured by the Spanish) seized their opportunity and fled to the Blue Mountains where they hid for many years.



• In the mountains, the Maroons practised and honed the cooking techniques of their ancestors, which included the development of jerked meat. The method of preserving, seasoning and smoking meat was an Arawak Indian concept but the Maroons perfected this by incorporating their own methods and introducing herbs and spices that had been imported to Jamaica over the years.



• Jerk recipes have passed through generations but its basic ingredients involve allspice, hot chillies (e.g. Scotch Bonnet), salt and a mixture of up to 30 or more herbs and spices that blend to create one of the hottest and spiciest foods on earth. Jerk seasoning or marinade is applied to meat, chicken and fish.



• The Blue Mountains of Jamaica lend their name to the famous Blue Mountain Coffee, which is renowned for being smooth and full-flavoured with many connoisseurs recognising it as being the finest and most sought-after coffee in the world. Coffee beans were first introduced to Jamaica in 1728 by the then Governor of Jamaica, Sir Nicholas Lawes, who imported coffee seedlings from Martinique. The climatic conditions of the island ensured that the seedlings flourished, which triggered the cultivation of coffee bean crops in Jamaica.



• With the number of plantations increasing Jamaica began producing large quantities of coffee and from 1800 to 1840 became the world’s largest coffee producer with 70,000 tons produced each year. The abolition of slavery brought about the end of many coffee plantations due to newly freed slaves claiming, clearing and cultivating all available lands. The government realised that the coffee industry was in turmoil and in 1891 passed legislation to provide competent instructors who could educate people in the art of coffee cultivation.



• For many years the quality of the coffee was deemed unacceptable until the Jamaican government established a Central Coffee Clearing House in 1944, the purpose of which was to clean and grade the coffee prior to exportation. The eminence of the coffee began to tell but production was affected once again when a destructive hurricane devastated crops and plantations in 1951.



• Only three Coffee Processing Plants remained (Mavis Bank, Silver Hill and Moy Hall) and, in order to regulate any subsequent growth in the industry, the Coffee Industry Board was formed to establish guidelines for the quality, cultivation and processing of coffee. This procedure is credited with the increased popularity of Blue Mountain Coffee. Another processing plant (Wallenford) was established and all four companies registered the name Blue Mountain Coffee in 1973. There are many imitators who try and pass off their coffee under the Blue Mountain moniker so, to ensure that you purchase the genuine article, look for the ones that have been certified by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board.



• The alcoholic beverage most associated with Jamaica and the Caribbean is rum with many different varieties favoured amongst the major islands. The first rum was distilled in Barbados in 1630. The task of drinking it was arduous given its objectionable flavour whilst the extremely high alcohol content ensured a sore head on waking!



• Rum is distilled from sugar cane or molasses (a direct by-product emanating from the manufacture of granulated sugar from raw cane) and its name is derived from the shortening of a 17th century English word, rumbullion, which means an uproar or rumpus ­ probably a consequence of over-consumption!



• Pirates are overtly linked to the drinking of rum, which is more or less justified since they opted for this tipple when Brandy (their favourite!) was hard to come by. Indeed, the glass receptacle that held the rum of a pirate was called a rummer. Rum was a form of currency in the Caribbean sugar plantation trade where it was used to acquire slaves from West Africa.



• Rum grew in popularity when the British Navy found that it did not go off on long sea voyages and improved with storage, which was a distinct advantage over beverages such as ale. However, they quickly found that it was too strong and had to dilute the daily rations because on-duty sailors were getting completely drunk, which resulted in sickness and raucous discipline problems!



• The many varieties of rum age between a mere few weeks to 25 years and they all come in two shades: light and dark. Light rum is aged in plain oak casks or tanks made from stainless steel whilst dark rum is aged in casks of charred oak with sugar caramel added to it if the need befits.



• When the number of shipping lanes increased as a consequence of the growth in global trade it became inevitable that the clamour for better paid employment would attract the denizens of Jamaica and the Caribbean to our shores. Even more West Indian immigrants arrived during the post-war period, bringing with them their cuisine and cooking techniques. Some would open restaurants and cafes, although not to the same extent as, for example, the Chinese and Indians.



• A number of immigrants from the Caribbean settled in the Butetown area of Cardiff but, unfortunately, evidence of their food culture (both in Cardiff and Wales in general) is rather sparse to say the least with the majority of eating/take-away establishments and food markets located in England. There is actually one restaurant in Cardiff where you can try authentic Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine, which is:
  - The Caribbean Restaurant, 14 West Bute Street, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF10 5EP. Tel: 029 2025 2102.
  - For further information on Jamaican and Caribbean food visit: www.caribbeanfoodemporium.com